Saturday, 4 April 2009

Joy - here and now

Life is for living. That's what a 78 year old man said recently, after his 87 year old wife, who suffers with Alzheimer's disease, had to be rescued by the police after her mobility buggy ran away with her. He makes sure she gets out of the house and is as active as she can be, because 'life is for living'.

Life is for living - joyously. I love this account in Acts 16, when Paul demonstrated that after he and Silas had been thrown into jail:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole family. (Acts 16:25 - 34)